News Archive

The University of Western Australia’s internationally recognised authority on herbicide resistance in plants, Professor Stephen Powles, has won the American Chemical Society International Award for Research in agrochemicals.

Professor Powles is the first Australian to win the award, which is given to a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the field of agrochemicals at the international level, with their vision and sustained contribution having opened new horizons for investigators in their field and beyond.

Director of Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative at UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment, Professor Powles was recognised for his long-standing research contribution to identifying the role of cytochrome P450 enzymes in endowing herbicide resistance in plants.

Professor Powles is one of the world’s most highly cited agricultural scientists and is widely regarded as a foremost expert in herbicide resistance in plants.

A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering, Professor Powles and his team have more than 250 research papers published on herbicide resistance.

Professor Powles was nominated for the award by Dr Todd Gaines of Colorado State University. Dr Gaines is a former postdoctoral student of Professor Powles who spent three years as a researcher at UWA before returning to the US.

Professor Powles will receive the award at a special symposium organised in his honour at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston in August 2018.

Media references

Professor Stephen Powles (UWA School of Agriculture and Environment) (+61 8) 6488 7833 (+61 4) 18 927 181
David Stacey (UWA Media and PR Manager) (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716